Computer Repair Franchise Pros

• Benefits that come from aligning yourself with a bigger company
• Benefits that result from an available peer support group
• Extra resources that you may not be able to afford on your own
• Extensive help with any issues that arise

Computer Repair Franchise Cons

• Extensive initial investment of both time and money
• Required to pay a monthly royalty to the franchise owner
• Certain restrictions will be placed on your creative business choices

Computer Repair Franchise Alternative: The Independent Computer Consultant

Starting your own computer repair business does not generally carry a huge financial burden and it is a great alternative to owning a computer repair franchise. However, it is a very time consuming process. It is not uncommon to spend upwards of six months getting the word out about your business, building your contacts and setting an adequate number of appointments.

Timeline to Building a Moderate Income

While it can take anywhere from three to six months of diligence and hard work to see positive financial results for your business, there are a few steps you can take to speed this process along.

First of all, you will spend a lot of time in the beginning simply getting the word out about your business. You want as many people as possible to know firsthand about the existence of your business, the services you offer and how you plan to look after your clients. Don’t wait for this to happen gradually over time. Instead, take the time and spend the effort actually going out and talking to people about your business and what it can do for them.

Second, don’t overlook the importance of attending local events that will allow you to meet new people. This networking step is an essential part of building your contacts and getting new appointments set with clients.

Lastly, follow up on sales calls regardless of how time-consuming and repetitive the process is. By following up on any interest shown, you’ll maximize your potential for getting enough clients to keep you busy for the foreseeable future.

In spite of all this work, it still is likely to take you a number of months to obtain a steady flow of cash for your business. During this time, it is best to keep normal business expenses as low as possible to reduce any pressure and stress on yourself. By keeping expenses within a modest range, you’ll feel comfortable spending a great deal of energy and time on building a steady and lasting business.

In business, you get out of it what you put in from the beginning. You can’t expect to start a computer repair business without putting any effort or capital into marketing. So, you should consider spending a little money on advertising and promotion to get your business off the ground and running. The first step in starting a successful business, is you have to make your business look successful. I know that sounds like the chicken and the egg problem, but it really isn’t. The best way to start is with some professional looking business cards and a clean, professional website. The next step to looking like a successful business is to add credibility by posting testimonials from your friends and family. Ask people you’ve helped in the past to record a quick testimonial video. That is always more powerful than text-based testimonials. You can also join the BBB and your local chamber of commerce, and post their logos on your website. This will boost your credibility as well and deliver the right message to people in your community. Make sure to get a thousand or so copies of your business card, so you can seriously hand it out to enough people to get your name into the community.

The most common method of promoting a computer repair business is through word of mouth. That can help on a small scale, but it will never be enough by itself to sustain your business. Consider putting a small 4 line ad in your local newspaper. Most papers feature a services section on the classifieds page. The cost is only about $60/month and it is well worth it. You can also post to Craigslist for free in the gigs section.

Also, the majority of the people that tend to call for computer repair services are older retired folks. That is why a major selling point is to go onsite and fix the computer at their home. Retired people, especially those who live in rural areas, don’t want to have to go into town just to get their computer fixed. It’s a hassle, and unnecessary work.

The majority of the problems you will fix will be related to viruses, spyware, adware, and general Microsoft Windows errors. Viruses and spyware are the greatest thing to happen to the computer repair industry. They keep thousands of computer techs in business and repeat work is almost guaranteed within 6 months. You will find, that the majority of the work you do will involve re-installing Microsoft Windows, as this is the most effective way of getting rid of serious problems related to viruses, spyware and adware. If you are considering starting a business just upgrading and replacing hardware, you won’t find too much of a demand for it. The majority of the money is in software-related problems within Microsoft Windows. Most people are just want a computer to get on the Internet and check their e-mail. It’s always a good idea to be willing to setup a new computer online. Also, setting somebody up with Mozilla Thunderbird for e-mail and Mozilla Firefox for Internet is a pretty fool-proof system.

A great place to get computer parts is from Newegg. Older parts you can get from eBay. Most of the time, new parts are not necessary to fix the problem but it is a good idea to carry a small stock of common upgrades like DVD burners, hard drives, memory, etc. The next time you are on-site and you notice the computer could use a few upgrades, having these parts on handy dramatically increases the possibility that you will upsell the client and get the added work.

In terms of hardware, power supplies are the biggest culprit of failure issues.  You will replace more of these than any other part. Having a few of these around is a good idea, and make sure they are at least 350 Watts with a P4 connector and a 20_14 pin connect. That way they are more versatile. When you sell parts, sell them slightly over retail and charge a small installation fee. Don’t charge too much for parts, but don’t try to cut your clients a deal. After all, they are hiring you to perform a service and will gladly pay accordingly.

While I cannot provide everything you need to know about starting a computer repair business in one article, I hope that I’ve given you enough tips to get started. If you have a love for computers and technology, consider starting a computer repair business. It is a very rewarding career to establish for yourself. You will be helping a great deal of people and making their lives more enjoyable and stress-free.  Seeing someones reaction to their computer running fast again never gets old. It is very rewarding.

INCOMING QUESTION

Hello Ryan,

I have taken the time to review your info.  I’m not totally new to the
computer repair business.  I started back when the first IBM clones came to
market.  At that time I built PC computers from components and installed the
operating system software and menus.  I got out in the late 90′s partially
from being burned out and partially from the increased difficulty of trying
to keep up to date.

Lately I have been searching for other business ideas and came across your
ad on the Business Opportunity web site.  Everything you talked about in the
ad I new to be true.  I was more interested in the technical aspect of
renewing the operating system.  Most of what I found on your web site
information only discusses the marketing aspect of the business.  One of the
reasons I got out of the business at the time was because it took hours and
hours of time to restore someone’s operating system and it was not an easy
task when you consider saving all of their data. Also end user’s are not
very good at saving their backups and original install disks so you had to
put a bootleg copy on their machine.

I need more info on the technical side of it. Specifically how do you
restore the operating system and at the same time save the customer’s data?
Even when they show up with nothing but a bummed out computer.

Thanks
Steve M.

MY RESPONSE

Hi Steve,

Thank you for your inquiry. The reason that the majority of our package focuses
on the business and marketing aspects of running a computer repair business
is because this is precisely where the majority of computer technicians fall short
when attempting to start their own business and establish an advantage in the marketplace.

On the technical side, our service utilizes a mix of software tools and step-by-step
tasks to perform the perfect re-install. You are right that some consumers do not
keep backups of their computer or the original install disks to their machines.
This presents a challenge and an opportunity to establish a service that accounts
for both problems in a way that the service can be performed faster than the majority
of your competitors are capable of doing. Over the years we’ve experimented with
many solutions (e.g. ghosting, auto-reinstalls, etc.); however, in the end, found that
a traditional re-install is still the most effective method of repairing seriously damaged
operating systems. We then set out to find the right combination of software tools and
step-by-step tasks, and then optimize the order in which we perform each step to minimize
the time it takes to perform the installs.

If you become a partner with us you will not receive a miracle solution for repairing
computers. What you will receive is a fast, optimized method for performing a re-install,
backed by a large collection of marketing and business material that will effectively help
you brand and grow your business.

“How do I successfully run a computer consulting company out of my home?”

It’s actually really easy to do.

First Step – Your Image
First and foremost, you really have to commit yourself to projecting a professional image.  It is really easy to do that. You need to make sure clients see you in a professional way through your marketing, your 1-800 number, your business cards, your website, and other elements like magnetic signs on your car.

When I first started out, and didn’t have any clients, I got polo shirts made that had my logo right on the chest.  So, I had a brand, I had a color scheme, I had a logo, I had a website, and I was running it out of my home.  So, I did all of the work in house, but nobody ever knew that I was running it out of my house. All they saw was a 1-800 number, they saw professional ads, they saw me in a uniform, they saw my logo on my uniform, they saw my business cards, and they saw signs on my car. Each of these things were like little check boxes being checked off in their minds that helped them come to a conclusion that I was a professional company.  So, that’s the first thing. You want to project that professional image, and it’s not expensive or hard to do.

Second Step – Your Business Model
The second thing you need to think about is what your business model is going to be.  You could run this business out of your home for the rest of your life.  You could run a million-dollar consulting firm out of your home if you wanted to.  I have seen it done.  I’m here in Pittsburgh, and I have a client locally who has been doing this for many years. He runs the whole thing out of his home and people love it. His clients even come to his home to drop their computers off and he makes a lot of money.

Sample Business Model #1
The first business model that’s easy to run when starting out is providing all in-home appointments.  In this scenario, anytime someone schedules an appointment, you will go to his or her home or business and work on the machines there.  Now, if you run into a problem on site and you need to spend more time on the computer, then you would tell your client that you have to take the computer back to your shop for an ‘advanced diagnostic’.  With this model you never have them drop their computer off or pick it up at your house.

Sample Business Model #2
Now, the second business model is the pick-up and drop-off model. I am a big fan of this model.  In this scenario, anytime someone schedule’s an appointment with you, you pick up their computer, fix it at your house, then drop it off the next day.  The key is to not make a million trips. You want to create a weekly schedule on certain days such as Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Pick up all the computers at one time of the day, and drop them off at another time of the day.  You want to build your schedule and organize it so that you are combining trips. The pick-up/ drop-off model is very effective because clients don’t have to wait for you to fix their computer in their house and they don’t have to ‘lug’ their computer across town to get it fixed.  Also, you can take your time repairing the computer, and most importantly, you can fix multiple computers at one time.

If you run a service like the Windows Renew Service, you’ll make between 75 and 100 dollars per hour.  With the pick-up / drop-off model you can service 3 to 4 computers at one time in your home. As a result, you’ll end up averaging upwards to $200 an hour.

Conclusion
If you’re running on a tight budget, than I recommend you strongly consider one of the above two business model’s as the structure for your business.  Once you get started with one of these models, you can either continue to run it out of your home or you can transition into a storefront.  I don’t recommend starting out with a storefront if you are strapped for cash because there are a lot of unnecessary expenses involved.  It’s going to take a while to get your business going. It will take a few months to build your base clientele.  So, their really is no point in having a storefront and paying 3 to 4 months worth of expenses when you are not going to have the clients established yet.  As a smart business owner, you want to do everything you can to give yourself the best opportunity to be successful in your business.

A Proven System To Running A Computer Consulting Business Out Of Your Home
If you are looking for a complete, ‘done for you’, system to starting up, running and growing a profitable computer consulting company without having to spend a fortune to get started, I recommend you consider the Computer Consulting Business-In-A-Box.

A USP answers the question, “Why should I choose you over your competition?”

The Dangers Of Not Having A Solid USP
The reason a USP is so important is because if you can’t tell somebody or convince somebody in a short statement why you are better than your competition then they can’t differentiate the two of you, and you become “more of the same”.

When you are the same as your competitor your service becomes a commodity – which is the last thing you want to happen.

Getting Shopped On Price
When your service becomes a commodity you start getting shopped on price. If your marketing, service, and unique selling proposition are all the same, the only thing that makes you different IS your price.  Prospects have to make some kind of decision on whom to go with and if price is the only differentiating factor, that will be the one used to hire you or not. This is a worst case scenario. The last thing you want is for someone NOT to focus on the value you can provide them and instead force you to compete on price and lose profits.

How To Stop Getting Shopped On Price
The quickest way to get someone to not focus on your price is to get them to focus all of their attention on your service, on what makes you unique, and on how you can solve their problems.  Doing all of these things will make people willing to spend more money with you than with your competition because they feel confident that you can give them what they need.

Developing Your USP
An important aspect of a USP is it needs to be easy to understand.  It has to be so obvious that your grandma could read it and know exactly what you do and why that is useful to her.

6 Example USP Categories
Now, I am going to give you a few different topics that you could base your USP around.

1. How you deliver your product.
   Maybe you deliver your service different than your competition. I know of a few companies that only provide remote support. They do 10 to 15 work orders a day specializing in this niche.
2. A different kind of business model.
   You could focus your USP around providing a unique offering like a free computer crisis hotline or a pick-up and drop-off model.
3. Financing you provide
   While other competitor’s in your area are charging full price up front, you may find success offering high-end solutions and putting together financing options to make it easier for clients to spend money with you.
4. A niche market you focus on
   Many tech companies specialize in nice markets like the health industry. If you do work for a law firm or accounting company, you may find that targeting similar companies can provide a profitable marketing solution.
5. Response time
   Think Dominos. They guarantee their pizza within 30 minutes or it’s free.  You too could build your USP around your response time. Determine what response time you can realistically commit to and consider using that to stand out from the crowd.
6. Money back guarantee
   I am a huge, huge, huge fan of money back guarantees, especially in the tech business, and any other business where trust is a big issue.  For example, with my computer consulting business-in-a-box I have a one-year money back guarantee.  I have this because trust is very important; you have to build that with your clients.  When you provide IT services and you offer a money back guarantee, you will find that sales will go up because less people feel there is a risk with hiring you for the first time.

USP In Action
I was just at GNC the other day, buying different supplements, and I wasn’t aware of their return policy. There was a product I wanted to try, but it was expensive and I was afraid of spending the money. Then the clerk told me about their guarantee which states that I can use as much of the product as I want and if I don’t like it, no matter how much is left, I can bring it back for a full refund.

I was blown away, and I bought the product I was considering because there was no risk involved.  Because of their return policy, I knew that GNC was confident in their product and so I ultimately became confident in the product too. Ultimately, that was enough to convince me to buy.

Famous USP’s To Study

1. FedEx – “Overnight delivery guaranteed.”
2. AAA – “24 hour roadside assistance.”
3. Ford – “Built Ford Tough.”
4. Walmart – “Always Low Prices.”

Conclusion
Every major, successful, multi-million dollar business in the world has a unique selling proposition.  That is specifically why they are making a lot of money and outselling their competition. They have a strong brand, and that brand makes them unique.  So, I urge you to start thinking about what your unique selling proposition is, and how it ties into your marketing message.

3 Key Elements Every Marketing Message Must Have:

1. Element #1 – You need a specific target market
   
   It’s important to identify specifically who your ideal client is. Determine the demographics and psychographics of your client-base so you know who you will be targeting your marketing message to.
   
   
2. Element #2 – Identify your target market’s problems and emotions
   
   You can uncover this information by talking to potential clients on the phone and subscribing to the same publications. In doing this, you are going to discover what problems your target market is dealing with, what emotions they experience (e.g. – are they frustrated with slow computers), whether or not they know how to make smart technology decisions, and what problems they have with their business that technology can help them solve.

3. Element #3 – Explain the benefits of your serviceA big mistake that I see IT business owners make all the time in their marketing is they list out what their service IS but they don’t list out what their service DOES.The reality is, people don’t care what your service IS – they hire you for what it DOES. They hire you because they have a problem and they want it fixed, but they don’t care what you do to fix it.The easiest way to determine what the benefits are of your service is to first list out all of the FEATURES that your service provides and then list the BENEFITS of each feature.  For example, if you are marketing a virus removal service, example features might be the amount of time it takes you to do the work, a special technique you use to perform the work, steps you take to remove the virus, and your response time to emergency calls. For each one of these features, you would then list out the benefits they provide your client.  Example benefits might be an end to your client’s frustration or the productivity that your client gains due to their computer running faster and more efficient. Once you discover the benefits of your service, list them in bullet point form in your marketing. Use the benefits of your service as the centerpiece for your marketing, because they will generate the largest emotional response from potential clients.

KEY TIP  - Whenever possible…market to PROBLEMS! Marketing to problems is powerful, especially in the IT industry, because problems are “hot – buttons” that motivate buying behavior.  This is due to the fact that we all endure problems and we are “wired” to want to solve them.  When you talk to someone about problems in your marketing, 2 things happen:

First, you grab their attention by talking about something they truly care about. Second, just the fact that you can identify the problem they are experiencing makes you more credible because they will assume that if you know what their problems are then most likely you know how to FIX their problems.  This will make them much more inclined to hire you.

For a complete “paint by numbers” system to starting up, growing, and running a profitable computer consulting business, consider investing in my Computer Consulting Business In-A-Box.

Home-User Market
Certifications are most important for establishing credibility, so if you are working with home-user clients, at the very least, you are going to want to be A+ certified.

Small Business Market
If you are working with small businesses, it gets a little tricky because you have many different certification options to choose from. Many software and hardware vendors offer certifications with their products. When choosing which vendors to support and specialize in, you should also strongly consider going through their certification program.

The first place to start is to begin researching the available hardware and software solutions that are out there.  Pick one or two hardware and software vendors and stick with them.  Be sure to get certified by the manufacturer because then in your marketing you can explain to clients:

“Hey. I specialize in this software. I am CERTIFIED by the manufacturer and my competition is not. This should be important to you because in order to get certified, there is a high level of qualifications you have to meet.

There are certain standards that I have to abide by that your existing IT firm isn’t responsible for. Nobody is holding them accountable.  You don’t want to trust anybody with your server who could potentially cause problems if they are not certified with that server’s manufacturer.

If your server goes down then your profits are going to go down, your productivity is going to go down, and your competitive edge is going to vanish.”

Top 9 IT Certifications To Consider

1. CompTia A+
   This certification is hands down at the top of the list for individuals looking to break into the computer biz. CompTia A+ will certify you as a computer technician in hardware, OS, and networking. It is recommended that you get a minimum of 6 months experience. There are 2 exams involved.
2. Microsoft Certified Professional
   This is the first step to getting certified with Microsoft. After the first exam you will be MCP certified and will then be qualified to take Microsoft’s more advanced certifications like MCSD, MCSE, etc.
3. Microsoft Certified Desktop Service Technician (MCDST)
   This certification requires two exams. If you like troubleshooting, than this certification will be ideal for you. It will certify you on desktop computers.
4. CompTia Security+
   Security is vital now with the sophistication of technology and the internet. It is recommended that you have 2 years of experience before taking this exam. The Security+ certification works as a prerequisite for the MCSA and CNE.
5. Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) Associates
   This internet technologies exam covers html, dhtml, networking, graphics, and internet history. After you take the associates exam you can advance to the Professional and Master CIW levels.
6. Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP)
   This is step 1 in Java certifications on the Java 2 Platform.
7. MySQL
   This certification requires just one exam. You will need a basic understanding of SQL and MySQL. If you have more advanced skills, you can take a professional level exam for a higher certification.
8. CCNA and CCDA
   These two certifications require dedicated training (especially if you are new to IT). Cisco certifications are popular and well respected. After you pass these certifications and then receive experience to back them up, you will be able to advance to higher level Cisco certifications.
9. Microsoft Office Specialist
   Microsoft provides certification on their Office products, such as Word and Excel. You will be required to take several exams and have a comprehensive knowledge of the products.

I see this happen all the time with startup companies. Lack of research up front is the #1 contributor to small IT firms failing within their first year.

It’s absolutely critical to the life of your business that you do the necessary research up front to determine the most ideal market for your services. You want to do this BEFORE you spend money on marketing or dedicate any time to establishing your business.

The definition of what computer repair market is “right” for you is going to differ depending on what area of the country you’re in, and what services you offer.

The first step to targeting the right computer market is to pick a market that you think you might want to focus on, and perform the following research to determine if it is ideal for your business.

Once you pick a market to research, you are going to want to look up the demographics and psychographics of that market.

Demographics are the physical or tangible aspects of a potential client. Examples of demographics are average income, typical education, how many kids someone has, what neighborhoods they live in, etc.

Psychographics are the intangible or emotional aspects that your potential clients share or have in common. Examples of psychographics include common interests, places your clients like to frequent, websites they visit often, similar problems they experience at work, etc.

4 Critical Questions To Ask When Researching A Computer Repair Market

1. “Is my particular market easy to identify?”For instance, lets say you decide that you want to focus on accountants. Maybe you worked on an accountant’s network and you feel like you could specialize in doing IT work for other accountants. In the example of an accountant, it would be easy to identify who the accountants are in your area.
2. “Are they easy to locate?” In other words, is it easy to locate your target market in your community. Can you easily lookup where they work? Are there organizations they might belong to?  Do you have access to their contact information for marketing purposes?If you’re targeting a group like lawyers or home users, it would not take much effort to find lists of contact information.
3. “Are there enough people in my community to sustain my business?”Before you start your business, you’re going to want to sit down and write out goals – financial goals – for yourself that you want to achieve. Lets say your goal is that you want to make $60,000 in a year with your new business. You then need to break this figure down to determine how many sales you need to make and then how many clients you need to hit your sales goal.Most importantly, you’re going to want to know what the lifetime value is of a client over the course of a year. The lifetime value of your client is equal to the average amount of money you make from that client. For example, lets say you’re doing a virus removal service and you charge $150, and lets say that the average home-user hires you twice a year – your lifetime value of that client would be $300. So if each client that you get is typically worth $300 to you and your financial goal for the year is $60,000, then you would need 200 new clients.If you need 200 clients and you are targeting accountants, you better make sure there are at LEAST 200 accountants in your area to turn INTO clients. If there are less than 200 accountants in your area then you need to either increase the lifetime value of your clients or pick a different market to target.
4. “Do they have enough capital to buy my services?”It’s really important to know if your target market has enough money to hire you, or if they even DESIRE the services you offer.  The only way that you can find out if they’d be willing to hire you or how much they can afford to spend on IT projects, is to conduct one-on-one questionnaires with actual people in your community who fit the market you are considering targeting.

Conducting Telephone Research

Pick 10 to 15 potential clients, get them on the phone, and ask them questions to get the answers you need.  Ask them what websites they frequent and what church they go to. Ask them what their income is – if they don’t feel comfortable telling you their income – ask them what income BRACKET they are in. Find out what neighborhood they live in, how many kids they have, how often they outsource IT work, etc. Make sure to find out who they are currently hiring to do their work. You want to find out who your competition is.

Quick Tip - An extremely powerful technique to conducting telephone research with potential clients is to RECORD THE CALLS. Make sure to ask permission.  That way you will not drive yourself crazy trying to take down a lot of notes. This will allow you to really just listen, and then at the end of the call you can review the recording, write down their responses word for word, and then turn around and “spit it back out” in your marketing.  What better way to communicate to someone than to use THEIR OWN WORDS to do it!

2 Great List Building Websites

1. ZapData.com
2. SRDS.com

Both of these sites are list sites; you can buy lists of target markets in your area.  You can go on and search for any type of client in your area, and you can purchase lists of potential clients that you want to start marketing to.  These are also great places to get a free count of how many potential clients are in your area, and this will really help you to decide whether that is the right target.

Also, another really good recommendation that I have is for you to find out what local and national organizations your target market is most likely a member of.  You can contact these organizations, and ask them for a list count of how many people in your area belong to that organization.

Furthermore, if you join these organizations, you can get your foot in the door for marketing to these people.  For instance, if you are specializing in accountants, and you are also a member of the same organization as them then you have common ground – you have something you can talk about on a cold-call.

Additionally, I always recommend that you subscribe to their publications.  Find trade journals that are specific to that industry.  Not only do you need to be good with the technical side of things, but also you need to understand their industry, and you need to understand their concerns.  The more of this information that you can arm yourself with the more you will be the clear choice over your competition. Because you are specializing in their market, you will prove to them that you know what you are talking about, and that you can help them specifically.

Why My Computer Repair Business In-A-Box Guarantees You A Flood Of IT Sales
I’ve literally logged hundreds of hours researching small businesses and consumers in various markets across the US, UK and Australia. I’ve uncovered what hot buttons get small business owners and home users to buy technology services and pay premium prices. All of my research and knowledge is packed into my Computer Repair Business In-A-Box, along with 1 year’s worth of “done for you” marketing campaigns that have already been proven to generate millions of dollars in new IT sales for my past clients.

Shortcut your path to success and guarantee future income by investing in my Computer Repair Business In-A-Box.

A Great Start-Up Alternative If You Don’t Have 4 to 5 Months Of Capital
The best set-up you can use when cash is tight, and I have a lot of clients who do this, is to work a second job while you are starting up your computer business. You should already know by now that you cannot and should not TRY to establish a worthwhile business overnight. It’s simply not realistic.

What You Need To Know Before You Start-Up
There is no magic formula that is going to bring you an instant flow of new computer clients each week. It takes time to get your marketing message out there, saturate your market and build word-of-mouth. People need to be able to trust you, especially in the tech business.

Take My Business For Example
The process I use to develop consulting clients in my own business is the same process you will use to develop your own IT clients. As a consultant I know that nobody is going to just hire me out-of-the-blue. First, they need to get to know me. They need to read through some of my material – like my Market Me IT blog. Many of them listen in to free teleseminars that I host.

Consider yourself right now. If you are new to me and my material, then this article is a great way for you to get to know me and get to know some of the advice that I provide. The same is going to apply for you and your clients. You need to give yourself time to build that relationship with them – build that trust and show them that you know what you are talking about. Show them that you care and that you can help them.

If you can work a second job while you begin to build your relationships, you will have less pressure to pay your bills and give yourself more time to grow your business the right way.

You have to be confident and feel that you are an expert at some level with a computer repair business. If you’re going to get started and you’re new to technologies that you want to study and specialize in, then you are going to want to take some time learning the basics of computer hardware and software troubleshooting. You will also want to start out focusing your services around the home-user market.

Small businesses do pay better, but they tend to demand a much more sophisticated technician to work on their servers. There is a lot more on-the-line when servicing small business networks and technology because they have a more sophisticated set-up and you have to be equipped with different server technologies, and advanced network skills. Plus, a small businesses server going down or system crashing could result in thousands of dollars in lost data, lost sales, and lost productivity.

So how much experience you need to get started really depends on your confidence and existing experience.

I get asked about whether certification is important or necessary. The bottom line is, certifications are always a good idea. They establish creditability for you, give you a foundation and confidence to tackle a wide range of issues you could run into, and many times open doors to relationships with software and hardware vendors that will eventually result in a better bottom line and more profits in the bank for you.

So when you are assessing your experience, ask yourself, “Do I need more education?” Perhaps you need to get certified, perhaps you need to read up more on a particular technology or service you want to provide to make an honest decision as to whether you are ready to start your own business.

Ultimately, this is something that you’ll have to decide on your own, but I want you to know that who you target will depend on how much experience you have, and how much more education you think you might need.